Method for providing area of image displayed on display apparatus in gui form using electronic apparatus, and electronic apparatus applying the same

ABSTRACT

An electronic apparatus to provide an area of an image displayed on a display apparatus in a GUI form. The electronic apparatus transfers a user command related to an external apparatus to the external apparatus, and displays an area of an image displayed on the external apparatus on a display. Therefore, it is possible to display an area of an image displayed on a display apparatus in the GUI form using another display apparatus so that the user may select a desired GUI item more conveniently and more intuitively.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of Korean Application No. 2008-1943,filed in the Korean Intellectual Property Office on Jan. 7, 2008, thedisclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

Aspects of the present invention relate to a graphical user interface(GUI) providing method and an electronic apparatus applying the method,and more particularly, to a GUI providing method which enables a user tointerface with a display apparatus, and an electronic apparatus applyingthe method.

2. Description of the Related Art

Graphical user interfaces (GUI), by which users may select GUI itemssuch as icons, menus, or anchors displayed on display apparatuses usingpointers, have become widespread. In order to input user commands insuch GUI environments, a user may move a pointer to a desired item usingan input device such as a mouse or a touch pad, and may press a specifickey on the input device to input a command to execute a specificfunction of the item indicated by the pointer.

However, movement of the pointer to the desired item using the inputdevice may be troublesome to the user. This trouble may increase whenthe size of a display apparatus (such as a large screen television)becomes larger but the size of items becomes smaller.

Additionally, if GUI items are grouped together on one area of a displayapparatus, more exact manipulation is required to move the pointer.There is demand for a more convenient manipulation method when using aGUI, and, therefore, there is a need for methods by which the user mayselect a desired GUI item more conveniently.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Aspects of the present invention relate to a method for displaying anarea of an image displayed on a display apparatus in the form of agraphical user interface (GUI) using another display apparatus so thatthe user may select a desired GUI item more conveniently and moreintuitively, and an electronic apparatus applying the method.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, an electronicapparatus is provided. The electronic apparatus includes a display; acommunication unit communicably connected to an external apparatus; anda control unit to transfer a user command related to the externalapparatus to the external apparatus via the communication unit, and tocontrol an area of an image displayed on the external apparatus to bedisplayed on the display.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the area of theimage displayed on the display appears to a user to be greater in sizethan the corresponding area of the image displayed on the externalapparatus.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the area of theimage includes graphical user interface (GUI) items selectable by theuser. The control unit transfers information regarding a GUI itemselected by the user to the external apparatus via the communicationunit so as to transmit the user command related to the externalapparatus to the external apparatus.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the display is atouch screen, and the control unit transfers information regarding a GUIitem touched by the user among GUI items in an area of an imagedisplayed on the touch screen to the external apparatus via thecommunication unit.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the electronicapparatus further includes a sensing unit to detect movement of theelectronic apparatus. The area of the image displayed on the displaychanges according to the movement of the electronic apparatus detectedby the sensing unit.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the control unittransmits information regarding the movement of the electronic apparatusdetected by the sensing unit to the external apparatus via thecommunication unit, and controls the area of the image received via thecommunication unit from the external apparatus to be displayed on thedisplay.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the direction ofthe movement of the electronic apparatus detected by the sensing unitcorresponds to the direction in which the area of the image changes.

According to another aspect of the present invention, when the userinputs the user command related to the external apparatus using theelectronic apparatus, the distance between the electronic apparatus andthe user is less than the distance between the external apparatus andthe user.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the electronicapparatus further includes a capturing unit to capture an area of animage displayed on the external apparatus. The control unit transmitsthe area of the image captured by the capturing unit to the externalapparatus via the communication unit, and receives information regardingGUI items in the area of the image from the external apparatus via thecommunication unit.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the externalapparatus is a broadcast receiving apparatus, and the electronicapparatus is a remote controller of the broadcast receiving apparatus.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, a method ofproviding a graphical user interface (GUI) is provided. The methodincludes displaying an area of an image displayed on an externalapparatus communicably connected to an electronic apparatus in a GUIform on the electronic apparatus; and transferring a user command inputusing the area of the image displayed on the electronic apparatus to theexternal apparatus.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the area of theimage displayed on the electronic apparatus appears to a user to begreater in size than the corresponding area of the image displayed onthe external apparatus.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the area of theimage includes GUI items selectable by the user. The transferring of theuser command includes transferring information regarding a GUI itemselected by the user to the external apparatus so as to transmit theuser command to the external apparatus.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the transferringof the user command includes transferring information regarding a GUIitem touched by the user among GUI items in an area of an imagedisplayed on a touch screen of the electronic apparatus to the externalapparatus.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the method furtherincludes detecting movement of the electronic apparatus. The area of theimage displayed on the electronic apparatus changes according to thedetected movement of the electronic apparatus.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the direction ofthe detected movement of the electronic apparatus may correspond to thedirection in which the area of the image changes.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, provided adisplay apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes a display; acommunication unit communicably connected to an electronic apparatus;and a control unit to execute a user command received from theelectronic apparatus via the communication unit, and to transferinformation regarding graphical user interface (GUI) items in an area ofan image displayed on the display to the electronic apparatus via thecommunication unit.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, an electronicapparatus to transfer user commands related to peripheral apparatuses tothe corresponding peripheral apparatuses is provided. The apparatusincludes a display; a communication unit communicably connected to theperipheral apparatuses; and a control unit to determine which peripheralapparatus is facing the electronic apparatus and to display a graphicaluser interface (GUI) representing the peripheral apparatus found as aresult of the determination.

Additional aspects and/or advantages of the invention will be set forthin part in the description which follows and, in part, will be obviousfrom the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and/or other aspects and advantages of the invention will becomeapparent and more readily appreciated from the following description ofthe embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings ofwhich:

FIGS. 1A and 1B illustrate a broadcast receiving system to which thepresent invention is applicable;

FIGS. 2A and 2B illustrate patterns by which a user may move a remotecontroller, according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a detailed block diagram of a DTV and remote controller,according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a process for providing a user with an area ofa display image in the form of a GUI using a touch screen on a remotecontroller in a broadcast receiving system shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 illustrates operation S440 of FIG. 4 in more detail, according toan embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a detailed block diagram of a DTV and remote controller,according to another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a flowchart of a process for providing a user with an area ofa display image in the form of a GUI using a touch screen on a remotecontroller in a broadcast receiving system shown in FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 illustrates a video system according to another embodiment of thepresent invention; and

FIG. 9 is a detailed block diagram of a remote controller shown in FIG.8.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

Reference will now be made in detail to the present embodiments of thepresent invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to the like elementsthroughout. The embodiments are described below in order to explain thepresent invention by referring to the figures.

FIG. 1A shows a broadcast receiving system according to an embodiment ofthe present invention. The broadcast receiving system of FIG. 1Aincludes a digital television (DTV) 100 as a broadcast receivingapparatus, and a remote controller 200 as a user input device. Althoughdescribed with respect to a broadcast receiving apparatus, aspects ofthe present invention are applicable to any external apparatus usablewith a remote control, such as a computer, a reproducing apparatus, aset-top box, a video game console, or a multi-function device.

The DTV 100 provides a user U with a broadcast received by a broadcastmedium by displaying the broadcast on a display 140. Additionally, theDTV 100 provides the user U with a Web page received via the Internet bydisplaying the Web page on the display 140. FIG. 1A shows a situation inwhich a Web page is displayed on the display 140.

The remote controller 200 sends operation commands by the user U to theDTV 100, and the DTV 100 operates according to the received inputcommands. The remote controller 200 includes a touch screen 240. Asshown in FIG. 1A, the area of an image displayed on the display 140 ofthe DTV 100 (hereinafter, referred to as the “area of the displayimage”) may also be displayed on the touch screen 240 on the remotecontroller 200.

The image displayed on the touch screen 240 may appear to the user U tobe greater in size than the area of the display image. This may bebecause the actual size of the image displayed on the touch screen 240is greater than that of the area of the display image, or because theactual size of the image displayed on the touch screen 240 is smallerthan that of the area of the display image but the distance between theuser U and the remote controller 200 is less than the distance betweenthe user U and the DTV 100.

As indicated by arrows in FIG. 1A, the user U may move the remotecontroller 200 in an upwards or downwards direction, or to the left orright, or in a direction combining two of these directions, such as anupper-leftwards direction, for instance. The remote controller 200 maybe moved in any direction.

For example, the remote controller 200 may be moved while drawing alocus on a virtual plane (VP) which is in a parallel relation with thescreen of the display 140. FIG. 1B shows a situation in which the remotecontroller 200 is moved to the left by the user U while drawing a locuson a VP which is in a parallel relation with the screen of the display140. As shown in FIG. 1B, the image displayed on the touch screen 240remains on the touch screen 240 even after the remote controller 200 ismoved to the left, but after a predetermined period of time, the imagemay be changed to another image according to the movement of the remotecontroller 200.

Similarly, if the remote controller 200 is moved to the left, an area tothe left of the area of the display image may be displayed on the touchscreen 240. If the remote controller 200 is moved to the left, that is,if a frame around the area of the display image is moved to the left, animage indicated by the frame may be displayed on the touch screen 240.An image to be displayed on the touch screen 240 may thus change in thesame direction as the remote controller 200 moves.

The VP may not be in a perfect parallel relation with the screen of thedisplay 140 of the DTV 100, and may not be a perfect plane. It ispractically impossible for the movement of the remote controller 200 bythe user U to be on a perfect plane and in a perfect parallel relationwith the screen of the display 140. Accordingly, aspects of the presentinvention may be applicable to a situation in which the remotecontroller 200 moves on an imperfect plane and in an imperfect parallelrelation with the screen of the display 140.

As shown in FIG. 2A, the remote controller 200 may be moved by the userU while drawing a locus on a VP that is perpendicular to the screen ofthe display 140. FIG. 2A shows, using dotted lines, a situation in whichthe user U moves the remote controller 200 to the left while drawing alocus on the VP. In this situation, the VP may not be perfectlyperpendicular to the screen of the display 140 of the DTV 100, and maynot be a perfect plane. Accordingly, aspects of the present inventionmay be applicable to a situation in which the remote controller 200moves on an imperfect plane and in an imperfect perpendicular relationwith the screen of the display 140.

The user U may move the remote controller 200 by turning only his wristwhile his arm holding the remote controller 200 is fixed. If only thewrist of the user U moves in an upwards or downwards direction, or tothe left or right, or in a direction combining these, such as an upperleftward direction, the remote controller 200 may be moved upwards,downwards, or to the left or right, or in a direction combining any ofthese movements, such as an upper leftwards direction while drawing acurved locus on a virtual hemispherical surface. FIG. 2B shows asituation in which the remote controller 200 is moved to the left by theuser U while drawing a curved locus on a virtual hemispherical surface.

The virtual hemispherical surface, on which the remote controller 200 ismoved by rotation of the user's wrist, may be a mathematically imperfecthemispherical surface. It is practically impossible for the remotecontroller 200 to be moved by rotating the wrist of the user U whiledrawing a locus on a mathematically perfectly hemispherical surface.Accordingly, aspects of the present invention may be applicable to asituation in which the remote controller 200 does not move on amathematically perfect hemisphere, but moves on an imperfecthemispherical surface while drawing a curved locus.

The DTV 100 and remote controller 200 will be described in detail withreference to FIG. 3. FIG. 3 shows the DTV 100 and remote controller 200,according to an embodiment of the present invention. The remotecontroller 200 of FIG. 3 includes a movement sensor 210, a remotecontrol communicator 220, a remote control unit 230, a touch screen 240and a key input unit 250. According to other aspects of the presentinvention, the remote controller 200 may include additional and/ordifferent units.

The movement sensor 210 senses movement of the remote controller 200moved by the user U, and sends the result of sensing to the remotecontrol unit 230, which will be described in detail below. The movementsensor 210 may be implemented as a biaxial gyro sensor or an infraredray sensor. The remote control communicator 220 is connected to the DTV100 to enable communication using radio frequency (RF) signals. The keyinput unit 250 includes a variety of keys with which the user U mayinput user commands. The touch screen 240 may function both as a displayon which a screen is displayed and as a user input means to receivetouch input by the user U, although such combined functionality is notrequired in all aspects.

The remote control unit 230 transmits movement information to the DTV100 via the remote control communicator 220. The movement informationmay include information regarding the direction and distance of movementof the remote controller 200, which is obtained from the sensing resulttransmitted from the movement sensor 210. The remote control unit 230may also send information about keys pressed by the user U using the keyinput unit 250 to the DTV 100 through the remote control communicator220.

Additionally, the remote control unit 230 displays an image based ondata received from the DTV 100 on the touch screen 240. The imagedisplayed on the touch screen 240 may include a graphical user interface(GUI) item, and the user U may thus select the GUI item displayed on thetouch screen 240 by touching the GUI item. Accordingly, the remotecontrol unit 230 may send information regarding the GUI item selected bythe user U through the touch screen 240 to the DTV 100 via the remotecontrol communicator 220.

As shown in FIG. 3, the DTV 100 includes a broadcast receiving unit 110,a broadcast processing unit 120, a GUI generating unit 130, a display140, an audio output unit 150, an Internet interface 160, a DTV controlunit 170 and a DTV communication unit 180.

The broadcast receiving unit 110 receives a broadcast via a wired orwireless connection from a broadcasting station or a satellite, anddemodulates the received broadcast. The broadcast processing unit 120performs signal processing, such as video decoding, video scaling, andaudio decoding of the broadcast output from the broadcast receiving unit110. Additionally, the broadcast processing unit 120 transmits videosignals and audio signals to the GUI generator 130 and the audio outputunit 150, respectively.

The GUI generating unit 130 generates a GUI that will be displayed onthe display 140, and combines the GUI with the video output from thebroadcast processing unit 120. The display 140 displays the videocombined with the GUI output from the GUI generating unit 130. The audiooutput unit 150 outputs the audio signals output from the broadcastprocessing unit 120 to a speaker. The Internet interface 160 iscommunicably connected to the Internet, and receives a Web page from aWeb server connected to the Internet.

The DTV control unit 170 processes the Web page received via theInternet interface 160 and sends the processed Web page to the GUIgenerating unit 130, so that the Web page may be displayed on thedisplay 140. The DTV control unit 170 recognizes the commands of theuser U based on information regarding the operation provided by the userU, including movement of the remote controller 200, key input, or touchof a GUI item, which are received via the DTV communication unit 180from the remote controller 200. The DTV control unit 170 controls theentire operation of the DTV 100 according to the recognized commands ofthe user U.

A process for providing the user U with an area of a display image inthe form of a GUI using the touch screen 240 on the remote controller200 in the broadcast receiving system of FIG. 3 will be described indetail with reference to FIG. 4, which shows a flowchart of a processfor providing an area of a display image in the form of the GUI usingthe touch screen 240 on the remote controller 200 in the broadcastreceiving system shown in FIG. 3, according to an embodiment of thepresent invention.

In the flowchart of FIG. 4, operations performed by the remotecontroller 200 are shown on the left, and operations performed by theDTV 100 are shown on the right. Text in the center of FIG. 4 refers tomessages, data, or information received and transmitted between the DTV100 and remote controller 200. If the user U inputs a remote controlimage display command using the key input unit 250 on the remotecontroller 200 in operation S410-Y, the remote control unit 230transmits an initial image request message to the DTV 100 through theremote control communicator 220 in operation S415.

The remote control image display command may be a user command todisplay the area of the display image on the touch screen 240 on theremote controller 200. As described above, the area of the display imagerefers to the area of the image displayed on the display 140 of the DTV100.

In response to the initial image request message, the DTV control unit170 transmits data regarding the central area of an image currentlydisplayed on the display 140 (hereinafter, referred to as “center of thedisplay image”) to the remote controller 200 through the DTVcommunication unit 180 in operation S420. For example, if the imagecurrently displayed on the display 140 is a Web page written inHypertext Markup Language (HTML), the DTV control unit 170 may transmitHTML data regarding the center of the display image to the remotecontroller 200.

In operation S425, the remote control unit 230 scales an image using thedata received from the DTV control unit 170 to fit on the touch screen240, and displays the scaled image on the touch screen 240, so that thecenter of the display image may be displayed on the touch screen 240. Ifthe movement sensor 210 senses movement of the remote controller 200 inoperation S430-Y, the remote control unit 230 transmits movementinformation regarding the remote controller 200 to the DTV 100 via theremote control communicator 220 in operation S435.

The DTV control unit 170 designates an area of the display image to betransmitted to the remote controller 200, using the movement informationreceived from the remote control unit 230, in operation S440. Themovement information may include information regarding the direction anddistance in which the remote controller 200 moves, so that the DTVcontrol unit 170 may take into consideration both the direction and thedistance during operation S440.

FIG. 5 shows, in more detail, operation S440 of FIG. 4, by which the DTVcontrol unit 170 designates an area of the display image to betransmitted to the remote controller 200. In FIG. 5, an image indicatedby a frame on the center of the display 140 corresponds to the center ofthe display image transmitted to the remote controller 200 in operationS420.

If the remote controller 200 is moved to the left by approximately 10cm, the DTV control unit 170 designates an image indicated by a frame onthe left of the display 140 shown in FIG. 5 to be transmitted to theremote controller 200 during operation S440. Alternatively, if theremote controller 200 is moved to the upper right by approximately 15cm, the DTV control unit 170 designates an image indicated by a frame onthe upper right of the display 140 shown in FIG. 5 to be transmitted tothe remote controller 200 during operation S440. Subsequently, the DTVcontrol unit 170 transmits data regarding the image designated inoperation S440 to the remote controller 200 via the DTV communicationunit 180 in operation S445 of FIG. 4.

The remote control unit 230 scales an image using the data received fromthe DTV control unit 170 to fit on the touch screen 240 and displays thescaled image on the touch screen 240, so that the image designated inoperation S440 may be displayed on the touch screen 240 in operationS450. The image displayed on the touch screen 240 as a result ofoperation S450 may include GUI items. As shown in FIG. 1B, a field“SEARCH” displayed on the touch screen 240 and an input window disposedabove the field “SEARCH” are used as GUI items. The user U may select adesired GUI item from among the GUI items displayed on the touch screen240 by touching the GUI item.

If the user U touches one of the GUI items displayed on the touch screen240 in operation S455-Y, the remote control unit 230 transmitsinformation regarding the touched GUI item to the DTV 100 via the remotecontrol communicator 220 in operation S460. The DTV control unit 170determines which GUI item is selected by the user U, using theinformation regarding the touched GUI item received from the remotecontrol unit 230, and executes a function corresponding to the selectedGUI item in operation S465.

For example, if the user U touches the field “SEARCH”, the DTV controlunit 170 may search the Internet using a search term entered in theinput window. Alternatively, if the user U touches a hypertext anchor,the DTV control unit 170 connected to the Internet interface 160requests a Web page linked to the hypertext anchor from a Web serverconnected to the Internet.

Although the user U inputs the remote control image display commandusing the key input unit 250 on the remote controller 200 as describedabove, any method by which the user U is able to input the remotecontrol image display command can be used. For example, in order toinput the remote control image display command, the user U may touch thetouch screen 240 on the remote controller 200 or may shake the remotecontroller 200 horizontally, instead of using the key input unit 250.

Additionally, the center of the image currently displayed on the display140 is set to be an initial image displayed on the touch screen 240 inresponse to the remote control image display command, but this is onlyfor convenience of description. Accordingly, areas other than the centerof the image currently displayed on the display 140 may be set to be aninitial image displayed on the touch screen 240.

Furthermore, the DTV 100 designates an area of the display image thatwill be displayed on the touch screen 240 as described above, but thisis merely for convenience of description. Aspects of the presentinvention are also applicable to a situation in which the remotecontroller 200 designates an area of the display image to be displayedon the touch screen 240.

Moreover, the remote controller 200 determines which GUI item isselected by the user U as described above, but this is merely forconvenience of description. Aspects of the present invention are alsoapplicable to a situation in which the DTV 100 determines which GUI itemis selected by the user U.

Additionally, the touch screen 240 may be another display, and theremote controller 200 may be a mobile phone, a personal multimediaplayer (PMP), a digital camera or an ultra-mobile personal computer(UMPC). The DTV 100 may also be replaced by another display apparatus.

A second embodiment of the present invention will be described withreference to FIG. 6. FIG. 6 shows a DTV 500 and a remote controller 600,according to the second embodiment of the present invention. The remotecontroller 600 of FIG. 6 includes a capturing unit 610, a remote controlcommunicator 620, a remote control unit 630, a touch screen 640 and akey input unit 650.

The capturing unit 610 captures an area of an image displayed on adisplay 540 (hereinafter, referred to as “an area of a display image”).Data regarding the area of the display image captured by the capturingunit 610 is transferred to the remote control unit 630, which will bedescribed in detail below. The capturing unit 610 may be disposed on therear side of the remote controller 600. For example, if the remotecontroller 600 is placed as shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the capturing unit610 may capture one area of the display image.

The remote control communicator 620 is connected to a DTV 500 to enablecommunication using RF signals, or other signals, such as infrared. Thekey input unit 650 includes a variety of keys by which the user U mayinput user commands. The touch screen 640 functions as a display onwhich a screen is displayed and as a user input device to receive touchinput by the user U.

The remote control unit 630 transmits information regarding the area ofthe display image captured by the capturing unit 610 to the DTV 500 viathe remote control communicator 620. The remote control unit 630 alsosends information about keys pressed by the user U using the key inputunit 650 to the DTV 500 through the remote control communicator 620.

Additionally, the remote control unit 630 displays an image based ondata received from the DTV 500 on the touch screen 640. The imagedisplayed on the touch screen 640 may include a GUI item, and the user Umay thus select the GUI item displayed on the touch screen 640 bytouching the GUI item. Accordingly, the remote control unit 630 may sendinformation regarding the GUI item selected by the user U through thetouch screen 640 to the DTV 500 via the remote control communicator 620.

The DTV 500 of FIG. 6 includes a broadcast receiving unit 510, abroadcast processing unit 520, a GUI generating unit 530, a display 540,an audio output unit 550, an Internet interface 560, a DTV control unit570 and a DTV communication unit 580. The broadcast receiving unit 510,broadcast processing unit 520, GUI generating unit 530, display 540,audio output unit 550, Internet interface 560 and DTV communication unit580 of the DTV 500 as shown in FIG. 6 are configured in a similar manneras the broadcast receiving unit 110, broadcast processing unit 120, GUIgenerating unit 130, display 140, audio output unit 150, Internetinterface 160 and DTV communication unit 180 of the DTV 100 as shown inFIG. 2, so detailed description thereof is omitted.

The DTV control unit 570 processes the Web page received via theInternet interface 560, and sends the processed Web page to the GUIgenerating unit 530, so that the Web page may be displayed on thedisplay 540. The DTV control unit 570 recognizes the commands of theuser U based on information regarding the operation, provided by theuser U, including movement of the remote controller 600, key input ortouch of a GUI item, which is received from the remote controller 600.The DTV control unit 570 controls the entire operation of the DTV 500according to the recognized commands of the user U.

A process of providing the user U with an area of a display image in theform of a GUI using the touch screen 640 of the remote controller 600 ina broadcast receiving system of FIG. 6 will be described in detail withreference to FIG. 7. In the flowchart of FIG. 7, operations performed bythe remote controller 600 are shown on the left, and operationsperformed by the DTV 500 are shown on the right. Text in the center ofFIG. 7 refers to messages, data, or information received and transmittedbetween the DTV 500 and the remote controller 600.

In FIG. 7, if the user U inputs a remote control image display commandusing the key input unit 650 on the remote controller 600 in operationS710-Y, the remote control unit 630 controls the capturing unit 610 toinitiate a capturing operation in operation S715. If the user U causes alens of the capturing unit 610 to face the display 540 of the DTV 500(for example, if the lens is disposed on the rear side of the remotecontroller 600 when the user U grips the remote controller 600 as shownin FIG. 1A or 1B), the capturing unit 610 captures an area of thedisplay image entered through the lens.

The remote control image display command refers to a user command todisplay the area of the display image on the touch screen 640 on theremote controller 600. As described above, the area of the display imagerefers to the area of the image displayed on the display 540 of the DTV500. The remote control unit 630 displays the area of the display imagecaptured by the capturing unit 610 on the touch screen 640 in operationS720, and transfers the captured area of the display image to the DTV500 via the remote control communicator 620 in operation S725.

The DTV control unit 570 searches for an area corresponding to thecaptured area received from the remote control unit 630 from an imagecurrently displayed on the display 540 in operation S730. In operationS730, the DTV control unit 570 may compare the captured area receivedfrom the remote control unit 630 to the image currently displayed on thedisplay 540, to perform the search. The DTV control unit 570 checks theposition of GUI items in the area found as a result of the search inoperation S735, and then transfers information regarding the position ofthe GUI items to the remote controller 600 via the DTV communicationunit 580 in operation S740.

If the user U touches the touch screen 640 in operation S745-Y, theremote control unit 630 determines whether there is a GUI item at thelocation of the touch screen 640 touched by the user in operation S750.The remote control unit 630 determines the existence or nonexistence ofthe GUI item at the touched location based on the information regardingthe position of the GUI items received from the DTV control unit 570.

If the user touched a GUI item, the remote control unit 630 transmitsinformation regarding the GUI item touched by the user U to the DTV 500in operation S755. In this situation, the information regarding the GUIitem includes information regarding the GUI item disposed on thelocation touched by the user in operation S745.

The DTV control unit 570 determines which GUI item is selected by theuser U, using the information regarding the GUI item received from theremote control unit 630, and executes a function corresponding to theselected GUI item in operation S760.

Although the user U inputs the remote control image display commandusing the key input unit 650 on the remote controller 600 as describedabove, any method by which the user U is able to input the remotecontrol image display command can be used.

Additionally, the lens of the capturing unit 610 is disposed on the rearside of the remote controller 600 as described above, but this is onlyfor convenience of description, and accordingly the lens may be disposedon the remote controller 600 in any position. For example, the lens maybe disposed on the front side of the remote controller 600. In thissituation, the user U causes the remote controller 600 to be disposed asshown in FIG. 2A or 2B, and to capture an area of a display image.

Furthermore, the area of the display image captured by the capturingunit 610 is displayed on the touch screen 640 as described above, butthis is merely for convenience of description. Aspects of the presentinvention are also applicable to a situation in which the DTV 500transmits data found as a result of the search of operation S730 to theremote controller 600 and the remote controller 600 displays an imagecorresponding to the received data on the touch screen 640.

Moreover, the remote controller 600 determines which GUI item isselected by the user U from the touch screen 640 as described above, butthis is merely for convenience of description. Aspects of the presentinvention are also applicable to a situation in which the DTV 500determines which GUI item is selected by the user U. Additionally, thetouch screen 640 may be replaced by another display, and the remotecontroller 600 may be replaced by a mobile phone, a PMP, a digitalcamera or a UMPC. The DTV 500 may also be replaced by another displayapparatus, such as a computer monitor or a television.

A third embodiment of the present invention will be described in detailwith reference to FIG. 8. FIG. 8 illustrates a video system according tothe third embodiment of the present invention. The video system of FIG.8 is configured in such a manner that home appliances, such as an airconditioner 810, a digital versatile disc recorder (DVDR) 820, a DTV830, a home theater system (HTS) 840 and a PC 850, are connected to aremote controller 900, enabling mutual communication.

The home appliances 810 to 850 each include respective radio frequencyidentification (RFID) tags 815 to 855. Each of the RFID tags 815 to 855includes information regarding the respective home appliances 810 to 850to which each of the RFID tags 815 to 855 belongs. For example, the RFIDtag 835 in the DTV 830 may include ID information indicating the DTV830.

If a user causes a front end of the remote controller 900 to indicate aspecific home appliance, the remote controller 900 may read an RFID tagin the home appliance indicated by the front end of the remotecontroller 900, and may search for the home appliance from the homeappliances 810 to 850. Additionally, the remote controller 900 mayprovide the user with a menu screen related to the home appliance foundas a result of the search in the form of a GUI.

The remote controller 900 shown in FIG. 8 will be described in detailwith reference to FIG. 9. FIG. 9 is a detailed block diagram of theremote controller 900 shown in FIG. 8. The remote controller 900 of FIG.9 includes a remote control communicator 910, an RFID reader 920, aremote control unit 930, a touch screen 940, a key input unit 950 and astorage unit 960.

The remote control communicator 910 is connected to the home appliances810 to 850 to enable communication using RF signals. The RFID reader 920reads the RFID tag in the home appliance indicated by the front end ofthe remote controller 900 from among the home appliances 810 to 850. Thetouch screen 940 functions as a display on which a screen is displayedand as a user input means to receive touch input by the user U. The keyinput unit 950 includes a variety of keys by which the user U may inputuser commands. The storage unit 960 stores menus of each of the homeappliances 810 to 850.

The remote control unit 930 searches for the home appliance facing thefront end of the remote controller 900, using information regarding theRFID tag read by the RFID reader 920. The remote control unit 930 readsthe menu of the home appliance found by the search from the storage unit960, and then displays the read menu on the touch screen 940, so thatthe user may be provided with the menu in the form of a GUI.

If the user U selects a menu item on the menu screen displayed on thetouch screen 940 by touching the menu item, the remote control unit 930may transmit information regarding the touched menu item to acorresponding home appliance via the remote control communicator 910.Accordingly, the home appliance may determine which menu item isselected by the user U, using the information regarding the menu itemreceived from the remote controller 900, and execute a functioncorresponding to the menu item.

As described above, according to aspects of the present invention, it ispossible to provide a user with an area of an image displayed on adisplay apparatus in the form of a GUI using another display.Accordingly, the user can select a desired GUI item more convenientlyand more intuitively.

Aspects of the present invention can also be embodied as computerreadable codes on a computer readable recording medium. The computerreadable recording medium is any data storage device that can store datawhich can be thereafter read by a computer system. Examples of thecomputer readable recording medium also include read-only memory (ROM),random-access memory (RAM), CDs, DVDs, magnetic tapes, floppy disks, andoptical data storage devices. Aspects of the present invention may alsobe embodied as carrier waves (such as data transmission through theInternet). The computer readable recording medium can also bedistributed over network coupled computer systems so that the computerreadable code is stored and executed in a distributed fashion. Also,functional programs, codes, and code segments for accomplishing thepresent invention can be easily construed by programmers skilled in theart to which the present invention pertains.

Although a few embodiments of the present invention have been shown anddescribed, it would be appreciated by those skilled in the art thatchanges may be made in this embodiment, without departing from theprinciples and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined inthe claims and their equivalents.

1. An electronic apparatus, comprising: a display; a communication unitcommunicably connected to an external apparatus; and a control unit totransfer a user command related to the external apparatus to theexternal apparatus via the communication unit, and to control an area ofan image displayed on the external apparatus to be displayed on thedisplay.
 2. The electronic apparatus of claim 1, wherein the area of theimage displayed on the display appears to a user to be greater in sizethan the corresponding area of the image displayed on the externalapparatus.
 3. The electronic apparatus of claim 1, wherein: the area ofthe image comprises graphical user interface (GUI) items selectable bythe user; and the control unit transfers information regarding a GUIitem selected by the user to the external apparatus via thecommunication unit so as to transmit the user command related to theexternal apparatus to the external apparatus.
 4. The electronicapparatus of claim 3, wherein: the display is a touch screen; and thecontrol unit transfers information regarding a GUI item touched by theuser among GUI items in an area of an image displayed on the touchscreen to the external apparatus via the communication unit.
 5. Theelectronic apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: a sensing unit todetect movement of the electronic apparatus; wherein the area of theimage displayed on the display changes according to the movement of theelectronic apparatus detected by the sensing unit.
 6. The electronicapparatus of claim 5, wherein the control unit transmits informationregarding the movement of the electronic apparatus detected by thesensing unit to the external apparatus via the communication unit, andcontrols the area of the image received via the communication unit fromthe external apparatus to be displayed on the display.
 7. The electronicapparatus of claim 5, wherein the direction of the movement of theelectronic apparatus detected by the sensing unit corresponds to thedirection in which the area of the image changes.
 8. The electronicapparatus of claim 1, wherein, when the user inputs the user commandrelated to the external apparatus using the electronic apparatus, thedistance between the electronic apparatus and the user is less than thedistance between the external apparatus and the user.
 9. The electronicapparatus of claim 1, further comprising: a capturing unit to capture anarea of an image displayed on the external apparatus; wherein thecontrol unit transmits the area of the image captured by the capturingunit to the external apparatus via the communication unit, and receivesinformation regarding GUI items in the area of the image from theexternal apparatus via the communication unit.
 10. The electronicapparatus of claim 1, wherein: the external apparatus is a broadcastreceiving apparatus; and the electronic apparatus is a remote controllerof the broadcast receiving apparatus.
 11. A method of providing agraphical user interface (GUI), the method comprising: displaying anarea of an image displayed on an external apparatus communicablyconnected to an electronic apparatus in a GUI form on the electronicapparatus; and transferring a user command input using the area of theimage displayed on the electronic apparatus to the external apparatus.12. The method of claim 11, wherein the area of the image displayed onthe electronic apparatus appears to a user to be greater in size thanthe corresponding area of the image displayed on the external apparatus.13. The method of claim 11, wherein: the area of the image comprises GUIitems selectable by the user; and the transferring of the user commandcomprises transferring information regarding a GUI item selected by theuser to the external apparatus so as to transmit the user command to theexternal apparatus.
 14. The method of claim 13, wherein the transferringof the user command comprises transferring information regarding a GUIitem touched by the user among GUI items in an area of an imagedisplayed on a touch screen of the electronic apparatus to the externalapparatus.
 15. The method of claim 11, further comprising: detectingmovement of the electronic apparatus; wherein the area of the imagedisplayed on the electronic apparatus changes according to the detectedmovement of the electronic apparatus.
 16. The method of claim 15,wherein the direction of the detected movement of the electronicapparatus corresponds to the direction in which the area of the imagechanges.
 17. A display apparatus, comprising: a display; a communicationunit communicably connected to an electronic apparatus; and a controlunit to execute a user command received from the electronic apparatusvia the communication unit, and to transfer information regardinggraphical user interface (GUI) items in an area of an image displayed onthe display to the electronic apparatus via the communication unit. 18.The display apparatus of claim 17, wherein: the area of the imagedisplayed on the display is displayed on the electronic apparatus; andthe area of the image displayed on the electronic apparatus appears to auser to be greater in size than the corresponding area of the imagedisplayed on the display.
 19. The display apparatus of claim 17, whereinthe control unit transfers data regarding the area of the imagedisplayed on the display to the electronic apparatus via thecommunication unit.
 20. The display apparatus of claim 19, wherein thecontrol unit transfers data regarding various areas of the imagedisplayed on the display to the electronic apparatus via thecommunication unit, based on information regarding movement of theelectronic apparatus received via the communication unit.
 21. Anelectronic apparatus to transfer user commands related to peripheralapparatuses to the corresponding peripheral apparatuses, the apparatuscomprising: a display; a communication unit communicably connected tothe peripheral apparatuses; and a control unit to determine whichperipheral apparatus is facing the electronic apparatus and to display agraphical user interface (GUI) representing the peripheral apparatusfound as a result of the determination.
 22. A system comprising: anexternal apparatus having a display; a remote controller to control theexternal apparatus, the remote control having a display to display anarea of an image displayed on the external apparatus; wherein the areaof the image displayed on the display of the remote control is scaled soas to appear larger than the corresponding area of the image displayedon the display of the external apparatus.
 23. A remote controller tocontrol an external apparatus having a display, the remote controlcomprising: a screen; and a control unit to control the externalapparatus based on input from the user, and to display an area of animage displayed on the external apparatus; wherein the control unitscales the image displayed on the screen so as to fit on the screen andto appear larger than the area of the image displayed on the externalapparatus, and transmits input from the user to the external apparatuscorresponding to GUI items displayed within the area.
 24. The remotecontroller of claim 23, wherein, when the user moves the remote control,the control unit transmits information about the movement of the remotecontrol to the external apparatus, receives information about a changedarea corresponding to the movement from the external apparatus, andupdates the screen with the changed area.
 25. The remote controller ofclaim 24, further comprising: a sensing unit to sense the movement ofthe remote control.
 26. The remote controller of claim 25, wherein thesensing unit senses movement of the remote control in a planesubstantially parallel to a plane of the display of the externalapparatus.
 27. The remote controller of claim 25, wherein the sensingunit senses movement of the remote control in a plane substantiallyperpendicular to a place of the display of the external apparatus. 28.The remote controller of claim 23, further comprising: a capturing unitto capture an image displayed on the external apparatus; and wherein thecontroller determines the area to be displayed on the screen based onthe captured image.
 29. The remote controller of claim 23, wherein: thescreen is a touchscreen; and if the area includes a GUI item, thecontroller controls the screen to display the GUI item as a selectableobject.
 30. The remote controller of claim 23, wherein the controllertransmits commands to the external apparatus based on the input of theuser and the area displayed on the screen.
 31. The remote controller ofclaim 23, wherein the remote controller receives an image correspondingto the area from the external apparatus.
 32. The remote controller ofclaim 23, wherein the controller determines the area to be displayed onthe screen.